


Paupu Cafe

by Howl20f3



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Café, Gay Panic, M/M, Mutual Pining, One-Sided Attraction, Pining Riku (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27545053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howl20f3/pseuds/Howl20f3
Summary: A chance meeting in a newly opened Cafe in Twilight Town brings Sora and Riku back together after some poor choices Riku made in High School.
Relationships: Kairi & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Riku & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 34





	Paupu Cafe

“Come on, please, we have to get there soon or they’ll be sold out,” Kairi begs as she pulls Riku along the street. It was exactly the ass crack of morning and he was pretty sure he had mentioned that a few times. Apparently there was a café that had opened a few months ago, quickly gaining quite a bit of local notoriety. They were quite famous for their Crepe Suzette and they had a limited amount every Saturday and Sunday. Kairi’s birthday was coming up and this was what she had asked for, which was the only reason he had shown restraint and complained just once or twice.

Begrudgingly Riku does pick up the pace as he stifles a yawn, “Coming coming,” he mutters. The café was located on the ground floor of a high rise, nestled in among tall buildings with more apartments and stores. There wasn’t a name on the building, just a cute drawing of a paupu fruit. There miraculously wasn’t anyone there. Of course the place didn’t open for another 45 minutes, but at least this way they were guaranteed the fabled crepes. Kairi grins in triumph and pulls him over to sit on the low decorative brick planter right next to the entrance. “We made it! Thank you,” she says in relief, hugging his arm. 

Riku stifles a yawn as he nods and pats her arm supportively, “Happy Birthday Kai…I might just fall asleep here for a bit,” he mumbles, semi jokingly leaning his head on hers. 

She yelps in surprise at the sudden weight, giggling and shoving him off, “So dramatic, I’ve seen you wake up earlier than this to exercise,”

“That’s different, those times I always have coffee,” he points out, straightening and yawning again, his jaw cracking. 

“The wait will be worth it, I promise, apparently the coffee here is also really good.” Kairi promises. 

“It is,” says a boy who had just walked up from the other direction, looking surprisingly bright and happy despite the early hour. He has blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and he’s wearing an apron with the paupu logo, and a name tag that reads Ventus, “Come on, my brother always hates it when people have to wait out here. You can at least sit inside while I get everything set up,” he offers. 

Kairi smiles broadly and hops up, “That’s so nice, are you sure we won’t be a bother?” 

“Not at all, come on in,” he says, waving them into the café. It was cute and reminded Riku of childhood back on Destiny Islands. It was cozy, felt even a little humid, and it smelled amazing. The chef in the back is singing while he cooks, prepping for the breakfast rush no doubt. The bitter coffee smell mixed perfectly with the variety of sweet, savory, and yeasty smells that permeated the modestly sized dining room. “Pick a seat anywhere, I’ll bring you some coffee,” Ventus promises. 

Riku picks one of the booths, Twilight Town was a college town and therefore was designed for smaller groups, the booth only designed to sit two. True to his word Ventus is back with a pot of coffee and a set of adorable coffee cups with a line of palm fronds along the rim of the glass and paupu fruit spaced between them. After thanking Ventus and getting his first long pull of coffee, Riku starts to feel more like himself, he wouldn’t describe himself as addicted to coffee, it was just the routine that he craved, he could stop anytime he wanted. “Are you two celebrating anything?” Ventus asks conversationally as he also drops off silverware.

Riku nods at Kairi, “It’s her birthday tomorrow,” he explains.

Ventus smiles broadly and turns to Kairi, “Happy Birthday! If you would like my brother, the Chef, does love singing to people,” he gestures back toward the kitchen where said chef is still singing loudly as he cooks. “If not I completely understand and I won’t mention it to him,”

Kairi blushes and hesitates, naturally quiet, but she did enjoy having fun. Knowing she didn’t want to be a bother, Riku jumps in, “That sounds like fun,” and Kairi nods.

“Alright, I will let him know to come out when you’re almost done, he makes a special dessert too,” Ventus leaves again, watering plants and doing general front room prep. 

“These are so cute,” Kairi coos over the cups as she sips her own cup, admiring not just the cups but the whole establishment. 

“They are,” he agrees, the same wave of nostalgia hitting him as he looks over the sky blue walls with bamboo covering the bottom half. The roof was filled with plants in baskets, all sorts of beautiful vines and creepers making a kind of canopy. More workers start showing up, and they all look strangely familiar and similar. Each with bright blue eyes. None of them seem surprised or bothered to see Riku and Kairi there.

Just before they open Ventus walks back over with a pad of stationary, again adorned with paupu fruits and a pale blue color. “Let me get your order before we open, that way we can get it started,” he offers, smiling pleasantly as he holds his pen ready to write. 

“Two orders of the Crepe Suzette please,” Kairi says, not even having to look at the menu, “And two croissants,”

Ventus diligently notes the order before collecting the menus. “I’ll have that right out for you,” he promises. He walks to the back to deliver the orders and the singing goes quiet as presumably the chef pauses to start preparing the food. It was so peaceful, even with the other workers arriving. Of course much of the calm is shattered when they open the doors to the rest of the public. Thankfully the booth they had chosen was tucked against the wall and out of the way. Ventus still checks on them regularly and after just a bit he brings out their food. It does smell heavenly and they both dig right in. 

Kairi moans happily, “Oh my god, this was definitely worth it,” she points out, smiling smugly as Riku also enjoys his breakfast. 

“Okay, I concede, this is pretty damn good,” he admits, sipping his coffee to offset the sweetness of the crepes. Even the presentation was perfect, both plates looking perfectly identical. 

The café is filled with the low comfortable hum of people talking, and eating, with silverware clinking and the occasional louder exclamation. It’s easy to tune out and all too soon the food is finished. The doors to the kitchen open, the Chef coming out to sing, and Riku can almost feel his heart stop. Standing there, looking just as shocked, is Sora. Spiky hair only slightly tamed by a bandana, probably to keep it out of the food, and of course even the bandana is a pale teal with paupu fruits across it. Unable to pull his gaze away, Riku shrinks back slightly, wishing a meteor would strike the café and kill them all so he wouldn’t have to be alive anymore. 

He and Sora had been incredibly close back in the day when they were growing up on Destiny Islands. It had been a bit of shock when Riku realized that his feelings for Sora extended beyond just friendship, that he wanted to spend all of his time and the rest of his life with the bubbly brunette. Of course that was right in the middle of High School, when Riku’s insecurities and passion to succeed drove a wedge between the two of them. He had started hanging out with a not so savory crowd, and assuming that Sora wouldn’t want anything to do with him had only succeeded in pushing him further away. 

The last time they had talked it had ended in a fight, mostly on Riku’s side, his pent up frustration and embarrassment with his own feelings making him say horrible things. Sora had cried, but he still insisted that Riku could call him if he ever needed him, the idiot. 

After a moment of staring, Sora’s face goes through a range of emotions, starting with nervousness and a little fear before he shakes his head slightly and just smiles. That beautiful radiant smile that made Riku’s whole chest ache. He rushes over and Riku just sinks slightly lower in his seat, his shame a physical weight. “Oh my god, Riku...it’s really you?” he says, sounding as though he didn’t quite believe it himself.

One of the nearby waiters, one that looked almost identical to Ventus but his nametag read Roxas, looked over at them sharply, taking in Sora and then Riku, his expression sour. Riku takes a deep breath, trying to collect himself and forcing a hesitant smile, “Yeah...hey Sora, it’s really good to see you. Listen, I’m sorry,” he says, forcing out the apology, knowing it was awkward but it needed to be said. 

Sora shakes his head, grabbing him and pulling him into a hug, though Sora was still quite petite and only came up to his chest. The shock of the moment causes Riku to take a moment to hug him back, feeling like a piece that had been missing for a long time was finally back where it was supposed to go. Sora starts crying again, Riku seems to have that magic ability to always make his best friend cry. “You never called,” he points out, hiccupping slightly as he collects himself. 

“No...I, I’m really sorry, I was such an idiot and I didn’t think you would ever want to talk to me again,” he admits sheepishly, noticing that they were making a bit of a scene. The closer patrons were mostly trying to be polite with just a few glances their way. Only one old person was openly staring. 

“Of course I did you idiot, I tried finding you but you changed your phone number,” he points out, punching his chest in a gentle show of frustration.

“Ah, yeah, after we moved my parents switched plans,” he admits, feeling more shitty by the moment. “Sorry,”

Sora finally lets go of him, taking a deep breath and wiping his eyes off on his sleeves, “That makes sense, it’s okay, I forgive you, really, so long as you give me your new number and agree to actually hang out with me sometime,” 

“Of course,” he agrees immediately, amazed that this was actually happening. He had imagined reconnecting with Sora so many times, but his own insecurities and doubts kept him from ever doing it. “W-when do you get off work?” 

Sora smiles again and god did it feel good to see that, “Technically never because I own this place, but I’ve been teaching my brother and he can hold his own during the lunch rush...so around 11?” he asks, also seeming a bit hesitant.

“11,” Riku repeats in agreement, “I’ll be back, I promise.” It feels so solemn and intense that he felt a little silly. Especially when Sora suddenly yelps and looks around, remembering what he was out here to do.

“Whose birthday is it!?” He asks, reacting in an over the top way to his slight oversight.

Riku gestures to Kairi, “This is Kairi, my friend, just a friend,” he says, stumbling over the last part and making his face color with embarrassment. He didn’t know where things would go from here, but he didn’t want Sora assuming he had a girlfriend at the very least. 

“Hi Kairi! I’m Sora, it’s nice to meet you!” he says, his natural charm shining through like crazy. Without any hesitation he starts singing. A couple of the workers do join in, though most just keep going with their work. 

Watching Sora, Riku realizes just how much of an idiot he was. Even if he couldn’t be with Sora, he still wanted him in his life. Seeing him here just solidified that more. He wouldn’t do anything ever again to risk their relationship, even if it could only ever be a friendship, it was enough. Of course there was still that tiny seed of hope that he can feel start growing again. Maybe this was a second chance at more than just friendship.

**Author's Note:**

> I personally have a soft spot for AU's that take place in Cafe's for some reason. Hope you enjoyed! Any advice or criticism is always welcome! I love writing and want to do more, and there is always room for improvement!


End file.
